A Friendship Forged in Struggle
by that1writerchick
Summary: A series of one-shots about Steve and Bucky that attempt to illustrate the trials, tribulations, and depths of their friendship
1. James Gets a New Friend for His Birthday

_March 10, 1925_

James was leaving school when he heard a noise behind the building-yells, grunts, and the unmistakable sound of flesh striking flesh. A fight. James froze, debating whether or not he should investigate. The logical side of him said it was none of his business. The other, more curious side, prodded him to go and check it out. Finally his curious side won out. He made his way around to the back of the school and saw exactly what he expected to see- a fight- although he hadn't expected it to be so one-sided. One of the combatants was twice as big as the other, so it wasn't so much a fight as it was a smaller boy being beaten up on by a larger one. Unfortunately, James recognized the smaller boy. He was pretty sure his name was Steven, but his classmates, typically in jest, called him Steve or Stevie, as in

 _Sickly Stevie_

 _Can't come play_

 _Always gets himself in fights_

 _Cause he's too dumb to run away_

They thought themselves terribly clever for coming up with that one, but as far as James was concerned it was just unnecessarily mean, especially considering what they already did to Steven on a regular basis. He'd always just kind of let it slide before, not knowing what he could possibly do to help, but not this time. This time he was going to do something about it.

"Hey!" he called." Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" The boy beating up on Steven turned.

"What, like you?" he asked. James spread his arms wide.

"Why not?"

The bully stepped closer to James, probably trying to intimidate him, but his tactic didn't really work considering he was shorter than James was.

"You don't want to get involved in this, Barnes," he growled. James moved closer to him, turning his own intimidation tactic against him. He took an unconscious step backwards, and James resisted the urge to smile.

"Don't I?" he asked. His voice was deathly calm. "Because the last time I checked, I didn't like it when the big guy beat up on the little guy just because the little guy couldn't fight back"

"Well, the last time _I_ checked, the little guy who couldn't fight back shouldn't have been getting himself into fights in the first place," the bully countered with a sneer. Then he took a swing at James, a swing which he easily dodged. The bully's built-up momentum sent him stumbling, and James took the opportunity to punch him in the face hard enough to knock him backwards on his rear. He lay on the ground, a hand over his now bleeding nose, staring up at him in shock. James lunged forward and he scrambled to his feet, turned tail, and fled.

"You know, there is such a thing as running away," James said, walking over to Steven and holding out a hand to help him up. Steven lay spread-eagled on the ground, with a bloody nose and a split lip and the beginnings of a black eye. He propped himself up on his elbows and eyed James' outstretched hand warily, as if he was expecting it to close into a fist and hit him at any moment. Only when nothing happened did he finally grasp the offered hand and allow James to haul him to his feet.

"Are you here to bully me too?" he asked.

"No, obviously not, "James said. "Why?" Steven shrugged, a noncommittal, resigned gesture.

"Everyone else does," he said simply.

"Well, I'm not like everyone else"

"Then how come you don't ever do anything when they bully me?" There was anger in Steven's voice now. He straightened almost imperceptibly.

"I just did something, didn't I?" James demanded. Steven's only response was a shrug. James sighed.

"Okay, let's start over," he said. "My name is James, but you can call me Bucky if you want"

"None of them call you that, "Steven noted. James took "them" to mean their classmates.

"That's because none of them are my friends" Steven looked at him in surprise

"Am I your friend?" he asked quietly

"If you want to be," James replied. The smile he received in response, tentative and grateful, was the only answer he needed.


	2. Losing His Best Friend to a Girl

_November 14, 1931_

The bell rang, announcing the end of the school day with an iron-throated clamor. Students surged up from their desks and made a human river toward the door, all except Bucky, who stood leaning against his desk while he waited for Steve. Several girls gave him appraising glances as they passed by. He saw Steve coming and started walking out of the classroom, easily and automatically slowing his pace to allow him to keep up.

"Hey buddy!" Steve said. Not for the first time, he wished he were taller so that he could drape his arm across Bucky's shoulders with the casual ease that Bucky did to him.

"Hey," Bucky replied. They were nearing the front doors of the school now. Bucky started scanning the crowd of kids around them, using the advantage of his height to scan the faces of each person that passed him. Unfortunately, Steve knew exactly who he was looking for, and he didn't like it.

"So, I was wondering if you could come over today?" Steve asked, trying to distract him. Bucky winced and Steve knew what his answer was going to be even before he said

"Sorry, but I've already made plans with Sandra. Maybe some other time?"

"Yeah. Some other time," Steve said dejectedly, but by this time Bucky had found Sandra in the crowd and was heading toward her, although he did glance back at Steve to make sure he was okay. Steve did his best to smile and to not let his disappointment show. It wouldn't be fair of him to ruin the time Bucky spent with his girlfriend by making him worry about him the entire time. Seeing Steve's smile, Bucky nodded reassuringly, then the crowd engulfed him and he was gone. Steve sighed, hefted his school bag, shoved his hands in his pockets, and started on the long lonely walk home. He made it there unaccosted, which was a relief seeing as he didn't have Bucky to protect him today, then practically ran into his room and slammed the door shut in order to avoid his mother's inevitable questions about where his best friend was.

Several hours later Bucky knocked on the door of Steve's apartment. His mother answered.

"Hello James," she said pleasantly. She insisted on calling him James even though he'd told her a hundred times over to call him Bucky like Steve did.

"Hello Mrs. Rogers," Bucky said. "Is Steve there?" Steve's voice rang out from somewhere inside

"If that's Bucky tell him I'm not here." Mrs. Rogers smiled apologetically.

"It would appear he doesn't want to talk to you," she said.

"I don't recall saying I was going to give him a choice," Bucky replied. With a muttered apology, he shoved past her and went straight to Steve's room.

"Hey," he said, stopping in the doorway. Silence. Steve sat on the edge of his bed, staring sullenly at the floor and slouching as if he was trying to fold in on himself. Bucky sat down next to him and draped an arm across his shoulders. Steve angrily shook him off.

"Come on, buddy, why the long face?" Bucky asked "What's wrong?"

"I'm losing my best friend to a girl!" Steve snapped suddenly. Bucky blinked, taken aback.

"What?" he asked

"I haven't seen or even _talked_ to you outside of school since you and Sandra started dating," Steve said in a rush. "I know she's your first girlfriend, so it makes sense that you want to spend so much time with her, and its not fair of me to resent either of you for that, but all the same, I can't help but feeling… a little unwanted."

"Ah, come on Steve," Bucky said, giving Steve's shoulder a shove. "You don't need to worry about that. I'll always be your best friend. Besides, it's not like Sandra and I are going to last forever."

"You don't know that!" was Steve's frantic response. "Look, you… you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

"If we stop being friends, you'll have a whole school of people willing to step up and take my place. But I'll have no one. I'll- I'll be alone." Hearing that, Bucky couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing. Steve glared at him. He clapped him on the shoulder.

"You worry to much, Stevie," he said. "I will always, _always_ , be there for you."

"Really?" Steve asked. Bucky smiled.

"Of course," he said. "You can count on me."


	3. Maybe Next Time

_July 11, 1933_

It was a sweltering day, hot in the way only July days could be. In defiance of the heat, Bucky and a group of friends were in the middle of an impromptu soccer game, using 2 pairs of rocks spaced 5 yards apart as goals. Steve watched dejectedly from the sidelines, doodling in the notebook Bucky had given him for his birthday a week ago and trying to ignore the sun beating down on the back of his neck. The latest in a long string of Bucky's girlfriends stood a short distance away, yelling and cheering and jumping up and down.

"Yeah!" she called "Go James go!"

She insisted on calling him James for some reason, and Steve wondered where she had even learned the name, as no one outside of Bucky's family had called him James since elementary school. Lost in thought as he was, it took Steve a moment to realize that he couldn't hear the soccer game going on anymore. He glanced up and, sure enough, the players were sprawled out on the grass, the ball sitting abandoned nearby. As Steve watched, Bucky got up off the ground and jogged over to his girlfriend. How he could have been playing soccer in this heat and still have the energy to move at any pace faster than a crawl, Steve didn't know.

"Hey beautiful," Bucky said. "We still on for tonight?" His girlfriend giggled.

"Of course silly!" she said.

"That reminds me," Bucky said."Hey Steve! Over here!"

Steve sighed, tucked his pencil into the spine of his notebook, shut it with a snap, and went over.

"What do you want Bucky?" he asked tiredly. Bucky opened his mouth to reply, but his girlfriend interrupted him.

"Hi!" she chirped. "You're Steve, right? James has told me so much about you! But he never told me how adorable you are! You're so small! You're just like a little puppy dog!"

Steve frowned in bewilderment. He'd been called a lot of different things by a lot of Bucky's girlfriends, but "adorable" was a new one. He glanced over at Bucky. He was trying not to laugh. Steve cleared his throat.

"Yeah, well, it's nice to meet you," he said.

"Oh it's nice to meet you too!" Bucky's girlfriend said. "James and I are going dancing tonight!"

"Yes, and you're coming," Bucky said, finally managing to get a word in edgewise.

"Oh _come on_ Buck," Steve groaned. "Double dates never work out for me. I _always_ end up getting ignored."

"I don't want to hear any arguments!" Bucky shouted, though his tone was lighthearted. "I'm going to get you a girl if it kills me. I'll be at your house at 8. I expect you to be ready." Steve sighed.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But don't be surprised when my date shuns me completely and you end up having to entertain two girls at once."

"Ok by me," Bucky said with a grin. "Listen, I have to walk Grace home, but I'll see you later, ok?" He studied Steve's face intently, making sure, as he always did, that he was okay.

"I'm fine Buck," Steve said, answering his unspoken question. "See you later."

"Later," was Bucky's relieved reply. With those words, the two friends parted ways.

...

At quarter to 8 Steve stood on his porch waiting for Bucky. He'd dressed up, as much as he could-he'd combed his hair and he was wearing his church shoes, the nicest ones he owned. He ran his fingers nervously through his hair and hoped he didn't smell too strongly of shoe polish;his mother hadn't let him leave the apartment until his shoes were so shiny that he could himself in them. He shifted from one foot to the other and glanced at his watch. 10 minutes to 8. He couldn't believe it had only been five minutes. It felt like he's been waiting for hours. He glanced down the walkway that led to his porch, as if doing so would make Bucky appear there. he looked at the front door of his apartment and wondered if maybe he shouldn't go back inside and forget this whole thing. He had his hand on the doorknob when he heard Bucky's voice call his name. He enough, there was Bucky, standing at the bottom of the porch steps, his arms crossed, a look of mock outrage on his face.

"What's the big idea?" he asked. "You weren't thinking of skipping out on me were you?"

"No, not at all," Steve said quickly. Bucky laughed.

"You're a terrible liar," he told his friend as he started down the walkway.

"Where are the girls?" Steve asked, falling into step beside him.

"They're meeting us there," Bucky replied. Steve nodded and they continued on the rest of the way in silence. Before long they arrived at a dance hall. There were two girls standing in front of it. Steve recognized one as Bucky's girlfriend Grace, but the other was a stranger to him. Seeing them, Grace waved a hand over her head to get their attention. Bucky went over, his hand on Steve's shoulder in case he was thinking of escaping(he wasn't).

"This is Marissa." Grace told Steve, introducing him to her friend. Marissa was small and petite, with straw blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes.

"Well, would you look at that," Steve remarked. "You finally found me a girl my own size."

Marissa winced and Steve realized how insensitive that comment was.

"I'm sorry," he told her shyly.

"It's fine," Marissa replied, although her tone suggested that it wasn't. "Now, can we go?"

"Of course," Bucky said, gesturing toward the door of the dance hall. "Steve, Marissa, after you."

"Why do I have to go first?" Steve muttered, but didn't argue. Once inside, they stood off to one side in awkward silence, Steve alternating between staring at his shoes and the ceiling, Marissa casting sideways glances at Bucky and Grace, who were in the middle of a huge group of people on the dance floor, dancing like maniacs and just generally having a grand old time.

Finally Marissa asked, "Aren't we going to dance?" Steve blushed.

"I don't know how," he said quietly. Marissa snorted.

"Does your friend know how to dance?" she asked.

"Yes," Steve replied. He didn't bother to point out that she shouldn't have even had to ask that question because to do so would have been rude, and his mother had taught him better than that. Marissa looked over at Bucky, then at Steve, then back at Bucky.

"Oh go ahead," Steve sighed. Marissa brightened.

"Really?" she asked. "You don't mind?"

"Not at all," Steve assured her."It happens all the time anyway."

Marissa darted over to Bucky, who greeted her loudly, then said something to the rest of the group that made them cheer as they welcomed her in. He glanced over at Steve, who shrugged. Steve went outside and sat down on a bench near the curb with a sigh. He pulled out his notebook and began sketching absentmindedly, not really paying attention to what he was doing. It was only when he glanced down at his drawing a few minutes later that he realized he'd drawn Bucky surrounded by a group of people that included Marissa and Grace, with the words _Must I always live in your shadow?_ written underneath it. He continued sketching other, more random things to try and take his mind off of it. After about an hour of this he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and there was Bucky.

"You okay Steve?" he asked. "Did you have any fun?" Steve shook his head.

"Did you get ignored again?" Steve nodded, altough he was fairly certain Bucky already knew the answer to that question.

"That's okay," Bucky said. "Maybe next time."

"Yeah," Steve replied. "Maybe next time."

And, with that, the two friends headed home.


End file.
